CityUHK Secures its Highest Funding Record of Over HK$60 Million for 10 Interdisciplinary Research Projects from the RGC
18 MAR 2025
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) has achieved new milestones in research, with 10 outstanding scholars receiving funding from the Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Collaborative Research Fund (CRF), totaling over HK$60 million—marking a record high for the University. These 10 interdisciplinary and inter-institutional research initiatives cover various cutting-edge academic fields, including biomedical sciences and neuroscience, robotics and automation, environmental science and resource recovery, artificial intelligence and big data, and materials science and energy, fully demonstrating CityUHK’s strengths in research and innovation.
Following are the 10 interdisciplinary research funding projects led by CityUHK scholars:
|
Project Title |
Project Coordinator |
Introduction |
|---|---|---|
|
Long-term Rescuing Effects on Remembering and Memory Retention in Alzheimer’s Disease Mice with Self-synthesised CCK-B Receptor Agonists |
Professor He Jufang, |
Develop a new compound, LYZ-866, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease to restore cognitive function in mice, and evaluate its efficacy and side effects at various disease stages. |
|
Cell Intrinsic and Extrinsic Effects of Astrocytes Lipid Metabolism in Spinal Muscular Atrophy |
Professor Jessica Liu Aijia, |
Investigate the role of astrocytes in spinal muscular atrophy, using multi-omics techniques to analyse patient samples and explore therapeutic potential to improve patient care. |
|
Versatile Omnidirectional Mobile Robots with Diverse Bioinspired Motion Modes: From Theory to Harsh Water Applications |
Professor Jing Xingjian, Department of Mechanical Engineering |
Create a new type of biomimetic underwater robot for infrastructure inspection and structural health monitoring in harsh aquatic environments, achieving multi-directional movement. |
|
A Biorefining Approach to Converting Organic Solid Wastes into Multiple High Value-added Bioproducts |
Professor Charles Xu Chunbao, School of Energy and Environment |
Develop biorefining technology to convert food and horticultural waste into bio-based materials, green hydrogen, methane, etc., supporting Hong Kong's carbon neutrality goals. |
|
A High-performance Mass Spectrometry Platform for Next-generation Proteomics and Metabolomics |
Professor Zhang Liang, Department of Biomedical Sciences |
Introduce the Astral mass spectrometer to enhance multi-omics research capabilities, supporting RNA, protein, lipidomics and single-cell analysis to facilitate drug target and biomarker discovery. |
|
Trustworthy Large Language Models: A Multifaceted Strategy for Truthfulness, Fairness, and Privacy Preservation |
Professor Zhao Xiangyu, Department of Data Science |
Formulate strategies to address the issues of authenticity, fairness and privacy protection for large language models, enhancing accuracy, reducing bias and establishing a cohesive framework. |
|
Machine Learning for Reliable and Efficient Power System Operation Considering Renewable and Load Uncertainty |
Professor Chen Minghua, Department of Data Science |
Utilise deep-learning and machine-learning technologies to improve the reliability and stability of power networks in the integration of renewable energy, particularly in frequency and voltage control. |
|
Advancing Shared Autonomy: Innovating Collaborative and Sensory Interfaces for Future Teleoperation Systems |
Professor Luo Xiaowei, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering |
Develop the next generation of remote operation systems, including sensing transmission interfaces and digital twin frameworks, to enhance safety and productivity in the construction industry. |
|
High-capacity Lithium-rich Cathode Materials for High-energy Lithium-ion Batteries |
Professor Liu Qi, |
Create cobalt-free, lithium-rich, layered oxide (LLO) cathode materials to tackle voltage decay issues and improve battery performance, targeting applications in electric vehicles. |
|
High-performance and Long-life Anion Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis: From Material Design to Cell Innovation |
Professor Wang Jian, |
Develop non-precious-metal catalysts and durable anion-exchange membranes to optimise battery structure and enhance the performance of anion-exchange membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE), with the aim of surpassing existing proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) technology. |
Professor Anderson Shum, Vice-President (Research), congratulated all the funded scholars, noting that their outstanding achievements fully demonstrate the strong capabilities of CityUHK scholars in the field of research and their wide-ranging influence in interdisciplinary studies. He emphasised that CityUHK will continue to be committed to promoting innovative research, nurturing outstanding talent, and driving social progress through research outcomes to make a greater contribution to human well-being.
The CRF, established by the RGC, supports multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary projects to encourage more research groups to engage in creative, high-quality cross-disciplinary and cross-institutional projects.
CityUHK has consistently promoted interdisciplinary scientific research, encouraging cross-departmental collaboration amongst scholars and endeavouring to ensure that research outcomes benefit society. To strengthen its research capacity in the biomedical field, CityUHK established the College of Biomedicine earlier this year, integrating interdisciplinary strengths to address pressing issues in life sciences and health sciences.
Furthermore, CityUHK’s research in nanomaterials, biomaterials, and intelligent materials is internationally renowned, ranking 18th in Materials Science & Engineering in the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (GRAS) 2024.
Going forward, CityUHK will continue to support frontier research by establishing an open and inclusive research environment, and actively encourage innovative thinking and interdisciplinary collaboration.